Charlie McCann of BetVictor.com with Friday’s best bets

No rain forecast for the foreseeable future, but the ground
is described as good to soft and soft in places on the Chase course at Sandown
who play host to Saturday’s feature meeting.

I hope the ground is soft enough in the Veterans’ Chase for
Le Reve who has been the subject of sustained support during the week. Lucy
Wadham’s 11-year-old, who is at his best going right-handed, is 7/1 at
BetVictor who are betting each way 5 places on the race.

Good to soft ground forecast for today’s Wetherby card and Neil
Mulholland’s Very Extravagant (1.15) is beginning to look very well treated
over timber having been dropped another 3lbs since shaping with promise when
third (of four) at Doncaster from a 3lbs higher mark last time. The mare has
won from a stone higher mark in the past and the drying ground is a plus.

Abbreviate (1.45) has been raised 3lbs for finishing second
at Exeter last time and Kim Bailey’s chaser will be ridden by Nico De Boinville
for the first time despite the fact that stable jockey David Bass is at the
West Yorkshire track.

Dual winning pointer My Old Gold makes her belated seasonal
reappearance and chase debut and a market move for Nicky Richards’
nine-year-old would be worth noting.

Nicky Henderson’s Clarendon Street (2.20) may have bumped
into a decent sort when runner up at Warwick to stablemate Birchdale who is
only 9/2 with BetVictor for Saturday’s Grade 1 Tolworth Hurdle at Sandown. The
selection held four entries yesterday morning and I hope it is significant that
connections have decided to go for this option.

Nortonthorpelegend (2.55) was very well found in the market
when making most at Catterick over the Christmas period. He is ridden by Mr
Aaron Anderson in this amateur riders’ event and the latter, at the time of
writing, has ridden two winners from his last six rides.

The near 3m Novice Chase at Lingfield is a trappy little
heat and I hope Bastien (2.35) can build on his chase debut at Huntingdon when
he jumped very well in a better race than today’s. Richard Johnson could have
ridden Rio Quinto for Olly Murphy but reverts to likely market leader Lovenormoney
who was the highest rated of these over hurdles but was slightly disappointing
on his chase debut.

It might be worth noting that Johnson has ridden the horse
twice previously and his record reads 11. He looks a dour stayer and underfoot
conditions will suit, but I felt Bastien looked a sure-fire future winner on
his chase debut.

Big Time Frank (3.40) is fitted with cheek-pieces for the
first time in the conditional jockey’s event and I hope the headgear can bring
about the improvement needed to turn his recent second place finishes here and
at Exeter into a win. The selection is 5lbs higher in the weights this
afternoon and drops back in trip a couple of furlongs, but the hope is he can
make all under the promising Lorcan Williams.

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